Elevator indicator



Jan. 22, 1929. 1,700,112

W. F. BEATTY ELEVATOR INDICATOR.

Filed Aug. 27. 1925 3 shuts-sheet l H INV ENTOR. l V/LL/AM FBEATTV BY V,/W/

A TTORNEYS Jan 22, 1929. 1,700,13

w. F. BEATTY ELEVATOR INDICATOR INVENTOR. l V/LL/AM A 554 TTY ATTORNEYS Jan. v22, 192 9. 1,700,1 12

I w. F. BEATTY.

ELEVATOR INDICAQQR Filed Aug. 27, 1925 S'SMQts-Sheet 3 INVENTOR A'ITORNEYS Patented Jan. 22,. 1929.

WIL'LIAM'F. BEATTY, OF LAUREL HILL, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR F ICE TO ELEVATOR SUP- PATENT 0 PLIES COMPANY, IN (1., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELEVATOR INDICATOR.

Application filed August 27, 1925. Serial No. 52,716.

This invention relates to indicators for. elevators, whereby the position and direction of .movement of an elevator is indicated on a suitable screen adjacent the entrance to the elevator on one or more of the floors- .The principal objects of the invention are to improve the construction and mode of operation of indicating mechanism for elevators and to produce an indicating mechanism in which the position of the elevator is indicated in a novel manner by the illumination in succession of light transmitting characters upon a screen.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Fig. 1 shows the dial of an indicator that may be used with my invention with part of the dial broken away to show the mechanism beneath;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, in section, showtion;

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the applica tion of my invention with the usual type of elevator mechanism. 4

Fig. 4 is a front view of the indicator with part of the dial broken away to show a modification.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation in section of the modification of Figure 4 and Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 5.

It is common practice to provide elevators with an indicating system, showing on each floor the position of the elevator in the eleva-' tor shaft, so that its approach can be determined and signaled by passengers. This inv vention relates to an indicator for this purpose, giving its indication by illuminated characters on a screen or dial corresponding to the floors of the building. This illumination is obtained from a single source of light operatively connected with the elevator mechanism so as to progressively illuminate each character, one at a time, around the dial. As the source of light approaches the character, its intensity gradually increases until it is opposite the character, and then it gradually decreases as it moves past the character. This dissolving light effect enables the progress of the elevator to be followed during the ing the detailed construction .of my inven-.

time'a character on the dial is illuminated, which is not possible with other types of indicators where the light is stationary or where it has no variance corresponding to the movement of the elevator.

In the drawings, 11 is a dial of the usual type having a row of characters, usually figures, as indicated by 12, corresponding with the floors of the building. These characters are transparent and may be stenciled into the dial, or they may be constructed of glass inserts for each particularcharacter, as at 24. Light is substantially cut off from the'space at the rear of these characters, so that they give no indication, except when the source of light 15 illuminates them, one at a time, in succession from the rear. This light moves in synchronism with the elevator and indicates the position of the elevator by illuminating the corresponding character.

The indicator mechanism is housed in the casing 13, which is built into the wall and is provided with the front dial 11. The lamp 15 is enclosed in the box 14 at the end of the arm 16, which is clamped by nut 18 to the shaft 17. This shaft has a bearing in the housing 13 at 19, and is protected by'the pipe 20 which, by means of the nut and washer 21, bolts thecasing 13 in the wall. The end of the shaft 17 carries the operating pulley 22 hereafter referred to, It is apparent that as pulley 22 rotates, the arm 16 is rotated together with the box 14v and the light 15. Through the aperture 23, light 15 illuminates each character of the dial progressively as it is rotated, while the other characters remain dark. It is also to be noted that the intensity of the illumination is at a maximum when the source of light is directly opposite the. character, and that the illumination decreases in intensity as this position is receded from in either direction. This produces a dissolving light effect by which the movement of the elevator can be determined.

In order to eliminate flexible electrical connections for the moving light 15, a commutator is provided comprising the insulating disk 25 rigidly mounted on shaft 17 and carrying the contact rings 26 and 27. Ring 26 by bolt 30 connects to conductor 31, and ring 27 by bolt 28 connects to conductor 29 of the lamp 15. A spring-pressed brush 34 engages ring 27 and a similar brush 36 engages ring 26 with a sliding contact as the shaft is rotated, thereby establishing the circuit of the lamp through the conductors 35 and 37 with the terminal block 38 where connection to the lighting mains is made. The brushes 34 and 36 are slidably supported in a block 33 carried by a bracket 32.

, One way of applying this system to an elevator is shown in Fig. 3. The elevator 41 is operated by drum 42 through cable 43. On the shaft of drum 42 a pulley 44 is mounted, and by belt 45 drives at a reduced speed the pulley 46. On the shaft 47 of pulley 46- is mounted the pulley 48 which operates the endless belt 49 in the elevator shaft T hisbelt 1s looped around the pulleys'22 of the indicators on the floors a and b, as shown, being guided by the idlers 50 and 51. From this construction it will be apparent that the pulleys 22 are moved in synchronism with the movementof the elevator, and that light 15 is correspondingly moved in rear of the dial figures, there- ,by giving the desired indication.

In this construction the connections between the indicating device and the elevator mechanism are entirely mechanical, although the indication is obtained by a source of electrical illumination.

It is customary in the elevator signalling art to indicate direction of travel by means of different colored lights, for example, white light denotes upward travel and red light denotes downward travel. This color scheme is utilized in the modification shown in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive in which a screen 60 is adapted to be automatically moved in front of the light when the car reaches the upper limit of its travel.

In the construction shown in these figures, a rotating arm 16 carries a box 14 having a single opening in its side facing the dial. Pivotally mounted before the box 14, by being secured to one end of a pin 59, is a screen frame 60 which is adapted to receive a screen 58 of colored translucent material. Rigidly secured to the other end of pin 59 is an up standing arm 63 which is adapted to,move the screen frame 60 sidewise before box 14 upon engagement with one or the other of. pins 61 and 62 located in the rear wall of casing 13. A spring 64 suitably tensioned between arm 6 3 and box 14 tends to hold the frame 66 in the position in which it has been snapped by the engagement of arm 63 with pins 61 or 62. Stops 56 and 57, mounted on the upper side of box 14, limit the motion of arm 63.

As arm 16 and box 14 approach the ground floor indicating position, the screen 58 then being located across the opening in box 14 as shown in Figure 6, arm 63 is carried against projecting pin 61 by the movement of box 14, and arm 63 is swung over to the left as shown in Figure 4, overcoming spring 64 and swingmg screen 58 sidewisc to the right of lamp 15.

A white light thus illuminates the characters 12 during the travel of arm 16, corresponding to upward motion of the car, screen 58 being held in the position shown in Figure 4. When arm 63, at its upper limit encounters pin 62, it is swung over to the right carrying screen 58 into the position shown in Figure 6, that is, completely covering lamp 15 causing it to appear red on its subsequent downward trip. The spring 64 tendsto maintain arm 63 and consequently screen 58 in the position into which it is caused to swing by pins 61 and 62. By this automatically shifting screen, it is possible for a passenger to determine the direction of approach of a car which is, at the particular time observed, standing at another floor.

I By means of this invention there is thus provided an elevator directional indicating device .in which the course of travel of an elevator is shown by means of floor designating characters which are illuminated in succession by means of a single permanently illuminated lamp. While devices having char acters illuminated in succession have heretofore been used they have all had individual lights for each character displayed, separate car controlled circuits being provided to illuminate and extinguish each la'm'p as the car passes'the floor. v

WVhile there has been shown herein a specilic construction it is to be understood that it is merely for the purposes of illustration and the invention itself is not to be limited thereto but only to the extent defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In an elevator indicating system the combination of a screen with light transmitting characters thereon, a source of light for illuminating said characters, means moving in synchronism with the elevator for causing said light to illuminate the characters in succession, and means coacting with said lastnamed means when the elevator approaches one end of its trip to indicate a reverse direction of movement of the elevator.

2. In'an elevator indicatorv the combination of a screen with light transmitting characters thereon, a source of light for illuminating said characters in succession, means for moving saidxsource of light in synchronism with an elevator, and meansoper'able when the elevator approaches the end of its trip in either direction for altering the efi'ective color of said light to indicate alternately the upward and downward movement of the elevator.

3. In an elevator indicator the combination of a screen with llght transmitting characters thereon, a source of light for illuminating said characters, means for moving said source of light in synchronism with an elevator, a

support for said source, a translucent screen movable with sald source and positioned between said source and said first named screen,

and behind which said source of light moves, trip, and similar means for CBJ JSlDg a return and means ih the'path ofsaid light moving of said translucent screento its first described means to cause said translucent screen to position when the car approaches the other 10 shift its position relatively to said source of end of its trip.

light so that 'the'light 'Will not pass through Signed at New York city, N. Y., this 20th the said translucent screen, said means operdayof August, 1925.

ating when the car approaches one end of its I WILLIAM F. BEATTYF 

